Les Miserable: Fantine (Book 2) Read-a-long

I am behind on my reading as school have decided to pile on the pressure as Ofsted can turn up any moment and the school are in a major panic. I should be finished by Sunday hopefully.
I opened this post so that those of you that have finished can start sharing your thoughts.

I'll start.
On the general thread a number of people mentioned issues with the first 100 pages. I laughed since my favorite part is the first 100 pages. I enjoyed the details, and seeing what details Hugo picked out, about the Bishop. I also think the ground work of just how good a man the Bishop was and was always striving to be goes a long way in explaining the major transformation in Jean Valjean.

The goodness of the Bishop helped alleviate some of the worse aspects of human nature brought out in Jean Valjean's life story. Once we left that and dive into the story of Fantine and the cads and her desperate struggle to take care of her child it gets very bleak.

It is interesting to see Fantine as the one suffering from the inability to keep her head above water, must like Valjean before he was arrested. Now he is in a very different place and as Madeleine he can and does make a difference. But even then, the blind obedience of Javert to "justice" causes more unfair treatment.

Well, that's a start. Other thoughts?

I thought the first 100 pages about the Bishop were very interesting as well-I didn't find it dull or boring in the least! I also thought Javert is a very interesting character and the story of Fantine broke my heart. It's interesting to see how the musical differs from the book as I have seem the musical but not read the book.

I was never bored in the first 100 pages, but I found after the 100 mark, the pages flew by. I have never seen the musical or the film (though can sing all the songs!), so this is all new for me.

I was cynical about the Bishop at first, could someone really practise what they preach? This soon wore off, is a great role-model.

Ultimately it was Valjean and Fantine that caught my interest more, how your life can turn on its head in seconds. With Fantine, she sacrifices everything for her child, which really moved me. On the other hand Valjean repays his change in fortune by helping strangers.

I was never bored in the first 100 pages, but I found after the 100 mark, the pages flew by. I have never seen the musical or the film (though can sing all the songs!), so this is all new for me.

I was cynical about the Bishop at first, could someone really practise what they preach? This soon wore off, is a great role-model.

Ultimately it was Valjean and Fantine that caught my interest more, how your life can turn on its head in seconds. With Fantine, she sacrifices everything for her child, which really moved me. On the other hand Valjean repays his change in fortune by helping strangers.

Well, I was one who was bored by the first pages of Section 1. In hindsight, I can see why Hugo needed to do that building up of the Bishop's narrative, to help explain his affect on Jean Valjean (thanks, lauranav!)

One of my favorite portions of this section was when Jean is debating within himself what he is going to do about the trial of the innocent man. It seems that fate (and self-interest) is intervening to keep him from confessing his own identity, but he came through. I would have been so disappointed if Jean had said nothing, but it seems like he has been completely reformed.

Karen

I know, I was so worried he would turn back at the last minute, thus ruining his reformation.

Yeah - I think Hugo did a great job of setting it up and showing the conflict. It's like the first battle was just a part, and this was the real test for him.

I liked the contrast - He could confess and become a sinner on the outside but a saint on the inside, or not confess and still be a saint on the outside but a sinner on the inside.